Northern South America

Colombia

Colonial streets in full colour, coffee hills in the clouds and a Caribbean coast — a country where music is everywhere.

Photo: Ricardo Gomez Angel / Unsplash

Colombia often surprises even seasoned travellers. In Cartagena's walled city, bougainvillea spills from balconies onto the cobbles; in the Andean valleys, coffee grows on impossibly steep slopes; and along the Caribbean coast the jungle runs straight down to the sea.

It's a country with many faces. Bogotá is a high-altitude capital with excellent museums and the old quarter of La Candelaria; Medellín is a city that transformation has turned into a byword for creativity; and in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta lies the Lost City, built long before Machu Picchu.

Everywhere you'll meet Colombian warmth and music, from cumbia to salsa. To keep the journey smooth, routes between regions usually combine domestic flights, with time shared between cities, mountains and coast.

Why go

01
Cartagena
A walled old town whose squares fill with the whole city by evening, and the colourful streets of Getsemaní. Watch the sunset from the ramparts, and spend a day out on the Rosario Islands.
02
The coffee region
Green hills, coffee farms where you can follow the whole journey from cherry to cup, and the colourful towns of Salento and Filandia. In the Cocora Valley, wax palms — the tallest palms in the world — rise above the mist.
03
Medellín and Bogotá
In Medellín, a climate of eternal spring, cable cars over the hillsides and the street art of Comuna 13. In Bogotá, the Gold Museum, the La Candelaria quarter and a view over the whole city from Monserrate.
04
Tayrona and the Lost City
In Tayrona National Park, jungle and granite boulders meet the Caribbean. Nearby begins a multi-day trek through the forests of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to Ciudad Perdida — an ancient city that remains sacred to the Indigenous communities who live here today.

Ways to travel

Ways to experience it

Ways to travel aren't separate paths — the best journeys often bring several together.

Culture & discovery
Colonial towns, museums, street art, coffee farms and music — with local guides who also talk about the Colombia of today.
Adventure & active travel
The multi-day trek to the Lost City, trails in the Cocora Valley and Tayrona's jungle, and river adventures in the Andes.
Tailor-made journeys
Domestic flights, transfers and stays linked so you discover cities, mountains and coast without needless rushing.
Exceptional stays & escapes
Restored colonial houses in Cartagena, haciendas among the coffee plantations and eco-lodges by the Caribbean.
Wildlife & nature
Colombia is one of the world's richest countries for birds, and humpback whales often visit the Pacific coast in the second half of the year. Sightings are never guaranteed.
Family journeys
A coffee farm where children can pick the cherries themselves, Medellín's cable cars and a boat to the Caribbean islands — adventures for the whole family.

Colombia

Journey inspiration

Illustrative ideas for how a tailor-made journey could look. Not bookable packages: no prices, dates or inclusions are implied.

0114–16 days
Colombian contrasts
Bogotá, a few days in the coffee region, Medellín and a finale in Cartagena with time to rest by the sea.
Culture & discovery · Tailor-made journeys
Plan something like this
0210–14 days
The Caribbean coast and the Lost City
The hill village of Minca, a multi-day trek to Ciudad Perdida, time on the Tayrona coast and a few days in Cartagena.
Adventure & active travel · Small-group adventures
Plan something like this
0312–14 days
Colombia for the whole family
A stay on a coffee farm, Medellín at a gentle pace and Cartagena with a day on the Rosario Islands.
Family journeys · Exceptional stays & escapes
Plan something like this

Planning your journey

When to go

Colombia sits close to the equator, so altitude matters more than season for temperature. Drier periods in many regions generally fall around December–March and July–August, and the Caribbean coast is usually driest in the early months of the year. Rainy seasons vary from year to year.

How long to allow

For a first visit we suggest 12–16 days, enough for two or three regions. With the Lost City trek, allow two to three weeks at least.

Natural combinations

Colombia pairs naturally with Ecuador and the Galápagos, or with Peru. For more tropical nature, Costa Rica makes a fine continuation.

Areas to explore

Bogotá
The high-altitude capital — museums, La Candelaria and Monserrate.
The coffee region
Salento, Filandia, coffee farms and the Cocora Valley.
Medellín and Antioquia
A creative city in the valley, with colourful Guatapé close by.
Cartagena
The walled old town, Getsemaní and the Rosario Islands.
Santa Marta and the Caribbean coast
Tayrona, Minca and the trail to the Lost City.

General guidance only. Weather, seasons and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

Sample journey